Practical Grammar: Difference between revisions

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== Description ==
In this practical course, you will learn how to teach your laptop the basic grammatical structures of English. For this purpose, we will use software that was developed here at Goethe University. The software is completely free of charge and it runs on all Windows, Mac OS, and Linux computers. (After the course, you may keep the software.)


The program is completely visual. If you can use a text processor or an email program, then you will be able to learn this software easily! No further computer skills are necessary and we will not be doing any kind of programming.
The purpose of the course is for you to learn the basics of English grammar in a fun and interactive way, in an environment that you control and can use any time you want.
Students should bring their laptop to the first class.
== Course and Module Requirements ==
[https://www.english-linguistics.de/grammarparadise/wiki/index.php?title=Practical_Grammar_Course_requirements/ Follow this link]
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== Textbook ==
== Textbook ==


Throughout the course, we will use the following textbook:
Throughout the course, we will use the following textbook:


<span class="newwin">[https://hds.hebis.de/ubffm/Record/HEB449908283 Börjars et al. (2019)]</span>
<span class="newwin">[https://www.amazon.de/Lexical-Functional-Grammar-Introduction-Kersti-B%C3%B6rjars/dp/1316621650/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=3FCUE2E4TBUCZ&keywords=b%C3%B6rjars+grammar&qid=1666008387&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjUyIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=b%C3%B6rjars+grammar%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1 Börjars et al. (2019)]</span>


Please buy a copy of the book as quickly as possible!
Please buy a copy of the book as quickly as possible!
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== Review ==


== <span style="color: blue>Exercise 1.1</span> ==
If you need a review on parts of speech and phrases, then follow these links:
 
* [[https://www.english-linguistics.de/grammarparadise/wiki/index.php/Words Words]]
* [[https://www.english-linguistics.de/grammarparadise/wiki/index.php/Phrases Phrases]]


=== Sentences ===
=== Sentences ===


(1) John [disappeared].<br>
(1) John [disappeared].<br>
(2) The bottle [broke].<br>
(2) the bottle [broke].<br>
(3) Martha [stayed at the hospital].<br>
(3) Martha [stayed at the hospital].<br>
(4) Fred [talks about Chicago].<br>
(4) Fred [talks about Chicago].<br>
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(7) Joe [saw Fred].<br>
(7) Joe [saw Fred].<br>
(8) Alice [broke the bottle].<br>
(8) Alice [broke the bottle].<br>
(9) We [moved it into the room].<br>
(9) we [moved it into the room].<br>
(10) Fred [took Alice to the hospital].<br>
(10) Fred [took Alice to the hospital].<br>
(11) John [sent Martha a check].<br>
(11) John [sent Martha a check].<br>
(12) We [gave Fred a wastebasket].
(12) we [gave Fred a wastebasket].


=== Syntactic Categories ===
=== Syntactic Categories ===


S, NP, N, VP, V, PP, P, AP, A, D
S, NP, N, VP, V, PP, P, AP, A, D
===Evidence for Syntactic Constituents===
(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)
===Only phrasal constituents (i.e. whole phrases) can undergo Preposing===
(1) I cant stand your elder sister .
(2)
a. <span style="color:#0000ff">Your elder sister</span> I can’t stand.
b. * <span style="color:#0000ff">Your elder</span> I can’t stand <span style="color:#ff0000">sister</span> .
c. * <span style="color:#0000ff">Elder sister</span> I can’t stand <span style="color:#ff0000">your</span> .
d. * <span style="color:#0000ff">Sister</span> I can’t stand <span style="color:#ff0000">your elder</span> .
e. * <span style="color:#0000ff">Your</span> I can’t stand <span style="color:#ff0000">elder sister</span> .
=Pronouns=
===Pronouns replace NPs===
(6)
a. SPEAKER A: What do you think of <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">NP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">the</span> <span style="color:#ff0000">[</span> <span style="color:#ff0000">N</span> <span style="color:#ff0000">guy]</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">who wrote that unbelievably boring</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">book</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">on</span><span style="color:#0000ff">Transformational Grammar]</span>?
b. SPEAKER B: I can't stand <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">NP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">him]</span> .
c. SPEAKER B: *I can't stand <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">NP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">the</span> <span style="color:#ff0000">[</span> <span style="color:#ff0000">N</span> <span style="color:#ff0000">him]</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">who wrote that unbelievably boring</span> <span style="color:#ff0000">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">N</span> <span style="color:##0000ff">book]</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">on</span><span style="color:#0000ff">Transformational Grammar]</span>
===''there'' replaces PPs===
(8)
a. SPEAKER A: Have you ever been <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">PP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">to Paris]</span> ?
b. SPEAKER B: No, I have never been <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">PP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">there]</span> .
===''do so'' replaces VPs===
(9) Lilly <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">VP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">went home early]</span> .
(10)
a. Sandy <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">VP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">did so]</span> , too.
b. Sandy will <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">VP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">do so]</span> , too.
c. Sandy might <span style="color:#0000ff">[</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">VP</span> <span style="color:#0000ff">do so]</span> , too.


=== Phrase Structure Rules ===
=== Phrase Structure Rules ===
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S -> NP VP
S -> NP VP


=== Task ===
=== Exercise 1 Find constituents ===
 
Determine the constituency of the bracketed expressions in the following sentences. Use only the following syntactic categories: S, NP, N, VP, V, PP, P, AP, A, D.
 
(1) the bottle [broke].<br>
(2) Joe [saw Fred].<br>
(3) Alice [broke the bottle].<br>
(4) Martha [stayed at the hospital].<br>
(5) Fred [took Alice to the hospital].<br>
(6) John [sent Martha a check].
 
=== Exercise 2 Draw trees ===


Using only the syntactic categories listed above,
Using only the syntactic categories listed above,
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Example: to draw a tree for sentence (12) above, paste the following line into the textfield of jsSyntaxTree:
Example: to draw a tree for sentence (12) above, paste the following line into the textfield of jsSyntaxTree:


* [S [NP [N We]] [VP [V gave] [NP [N Fred]] [NP [D a] [N wastebasket]]]]
[S [NP [N We]] [VP [V gave] [NP [N Fred]] [NP [D a] [N wastebasket]]]]


Download each tree by clicking on it.
Download each tree by clicking on it.


b. Write the phrase structure rules needed to license the trees you drew.
b. Write the phrase structure rules needed to license the trees you drew.
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  '''Main page''' [[Practical_Grammar_2| '''Week 2''']]
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Latest revision as of 08:51, 16 October 2025


Review

If you need a review on parts of speech and phrases, then follow these links:

Sentences

(1) John [disappeared].
(2) the bottle [broke].
(3) Martha [stayed at the hospital].
(4) Fred [talks about Chicago].
(5) Robert [went to the hospital].
(6) Alice [moved into the room].
(7) Joe [saw Fred].
(8) Alice [broke the bottle].
(9) we [moved it into the room].
(10) Fred [took Alice to the hospital].
(11) John [sent Martha a check].
(12) we [gave Fred a wastebasket].

Syntactic Categories

S, NP, N, VP, V, PP, P, AP, A, D

Evidence for Syntactic Constituents

(Based on Radford (1988), Chapter 2)

Only phrasal constituents (i.e. whole phrases) can undergo Preposing

(1) I cant stand your elder sister .

(2)

a. Your elder sister I can’t stand.

b. * Your elder I can’t stand sister .

c. * Elder sister I can’t stand your .

d. * Sister I can’t stand your elder .

e. * Your I can’t stand elder sister .

Pronouns

Pronouns replace NPs

(6)

a. SPEAKER A: What do you think of [ NP the [ N guy] who wrote that unbelievably boring book onTransformational Grammar]?

b. SPEAKER B: I can't stand [ NP him] .

c. SPEAKER B: *I can't stand [ NP the [ N him] who wrote that unbelievably boring [ N book] onTransformational Grammar]

there replaces PPs

(8)

a. SPEAKER A: Have you ever been [ PP to Paris] ?

b. SPEAKER B: No, I have never been [ PP there] .

do so replaces VPs

(9) Lilly [ VP went home early] .

(10)

a. Sandy [ VP did so] , too.

b. Sandy will [ VP do so] , too.

c. Sandy might [ VP do so] , too.


Phrase Structure Rules

A phrase structure rule is well formed, if it is of one of the following forms

C0 -> C1
C0 -> C1 C2
C0 -> C1 C2 C3

and each C is one of the categories listed above.

The S rule

S -> NP VP

Exercise 1 Find constituents

Determine the constituency of the bracketed expressions in the following sentences. Use only the following syntactic categories: S, NP, N, VP, V, PP, P, AP, A, D.

(1) the bottle [broke].
(2) Joe [saw Fred].
(3) Alice [broke the bottle].
(4) Martha [stayed at the hospital].
(5) Fred [took Alice to the hospital].
(6) John [sent Martha a check].

Exercise 2 Draw trees

Using only the syntactic categories listed above,

a. draw plausible phrase structure trees for the odd-numbered sentences. Assume that the bracketed expressions are VPs.

Draw the trees with the program at the following website:

jsSyntaxTree

Example: to draw a tree for sentence (12) above, paste the following line into the textfield of jsSyntaxTree: 

[S [NP [N We]] [VP [V gave] [NP [N Fred]] [NP [D a] [N wastebasket]]]]

Download each tree by clicking on it.

b. Write the phrase structure rules needed to license the trees you drew.



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